The sale of convents and land by religious orders is picking up, and proving manna from heaven for purchasers keen to live in a unique ecclesiastical property.

Another opportunity for lovers of church property will spring up soon at Hampton, after An Bord Pleanála granted planning permission for 54 houses, 39 apartments and a 69-bed nursing home within the high walls of a former Carmelite convent in Drumcondra.

The Carmelite nuns ran an enclosed order on the Hampton site for about 150 years before it was sold to Grelis, a company owned by Howth-based developer Greg Gallagher.

All of the new residential development, located off Griffith Avenue and Grace Park Road, has been designed around the existing convent, church and walled garden.

All three features will be restored and enhanced to protect their period characters, with the Pugin chapel taking centre stage.

The lands will be open to the public and landscaped with plaza areas, playgrounds, while retaining existing trees.

The apartments, targeting local residents seeking homes to downsize to, will be close to the Victorian walled garden and the boundary to Griffith Avenue. Some of the apartments will be built inside the vacant convent itself.

The 54 houses on the site will have a modern contemporary design, with a strong emphasis on capturing plenty of natural light and views over two acres of open space, towards the up-lit chapel and listed buildings. There will be a mix of semi-detached and terraced three-, four- and five-bed homes, all with private gardens.

House sizes will range in size from 1,400sq ft to 2,400 sq ft and will appeal to professional couples looking for space to accommodate a growing family close to the city. Hampton is less than two miles from City Hall on Dame Street.

While the development is not due to commence until later in the autumn, with the first show homes scheduled to open next summer, prices for the houses are expected to range from €550,000 to €950,000.

The estimated prices for the apartments are €300,000 for the smallest properties, and as much as €700,000 for a three-bed penthouse.